Why Do Intellectuals Oppose Capitalism?

[labelwench]

Capitalism is a symbiotic class system that is interesting in the means by which it fosters both competition and co-operation within the same framework. It is a system by which, regardless of the station of your birth, there is opportunity to pursue and alter, or alternate, which side of the model you wish to work from. Many immigrants have come to this country and from humble beginnings, have gone on to become successful as entrepreneurs, running their own business, or through continued education and effort, become upwardly mobile professionals.

As with all systems, the model does not work for everyone, as there are so many variables that may affect choices and decisions made. Still, in my estimation, it does offer the greatest diversity and opportunity for success of models that I have observed, not the least of which being, that you can choose to work for yourself (greater effort and risk involved) or you may elect to follow the ideologies of another and combine your sweat equity with their vision and resources, because it offers greater advantage to yourself, at the time.

Capitalism offers flexibility and change.

What many who disparage the system do not recognize, is that they have the opportunity to offer an alternative within the existing framework. Rather than restate all that one dislikes, one may communicate their own ideology and launch new incentives. The era of technology and the inter-net are great examples. Look at the Google model, as one example. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and countless more......

Even for myself, with no specialized training or background, I have been both a sole proprietor and a retail manager, now choosing to be a corporate minion in the pricing integrity structure.

[Mikal]

We are not talking about the same thing! I do not disparage Capitalism. I do desparage the new market model that has swept the globe and lived in the idea of exploiting crisis and disaster. This model requires study of human rights violations that could be either deliberate intent of terroizing the public or harnessed to prepare the ground for the introduction of radical free-market reforms....facilitating disasters as bold experiements in crisis exploration.
Get the people when they are down, shocked, disoriented...never waste a good crisis! A Friedman idea breathed into life....


Regards Mikal

[labelwench]

We are not talking about the same thing! I do not disparage Capitalism. I do desparage the new market model that has swept the globe and lived in the idea of exploiting crisis and disaster. This model requires study of human rights violations that could be either deliberate intent of terroizing the public or harnessed to prepare the ground for the introduction of radical free-market reforms....facilitating disasters as bold experiements in crisis exploration.
Get the people when they are down, shocked, disoriented...never waste a good crisis! A Friedman idea breathed into life....


Regards Mikal

My post was not directed at you, Mikal. I am sorry if you thought it so. I was speaking to the premise of the thread.

Even so, there are several opinions on what the term 'Capitalism' actually entails, and it would seem apparent that our present model is not getting the job done as it was intended or in the manner which it is capable of with significant restructuring and better checks and balances to prevent abuse and misuse.

As with Democracy, it is far from perfect, but it's a better model than most which have gone before....

[Mikal]

Oh....I see, you are just discussing with Lloyd and Lloyd discussing with you. Its good to understand that...thank you!

"I wrote in the Massey Lectures that we live in a corporotist society with soft pretensions to democracy. (John ralston Saul)

Regards Mikal

[labelwench]

Each of us has different experience of capitalism, in some cases positive, and there are plenty of negatives as well. I was not familiar with the references you quoted, so could not reply directly to you, and chose a middle path of discussion. I kicked this thread up out of interest and Lloyd has been excellent in responding to others who have brought forth their perspectives. My schedule is such that I tend not to be able to engage in lengthy exchanges. Instead, I drop in my posts, and some few have figured out how to maintain a running dialogue with me.

Depending on my knowledge of a topic you respond to, will certainly engage you also, should circumstances permit. Time to shut down once again, as I have to get up again in 5 hours and 15 minutes.

Regards,

Lorrina

[Lloyd Gillespie]

Am I confused that this is about who makes more money—no this is about power just as TP pointed out. Regards Mikal

It's far more about not understanding background independences of all actions, that so many are blind to and about__That's the real problem__Pure ignorance, by and of the masses...

Should the masses ever awake, maybe we'd have the power to change the world__But, they must awake to the real problem__Their own ignorance, of power's true asymmetric natural sources, in the ongoing march into the lack of global resources__and the real intelligences and wisdoms required to deal properly with this massive problem...

It ain't personal__Geo-formations, and Mother Nature's in the real driver's seat...

The best from Lorrina;

The profit motive is not just the result of greed on behalf of individual capitalists. They do not have a choice about it. The need to make a profit is imposed on capitalists as a condition for not losing their investments and their position as capitalists. Competition with other capitalists forces them to reinvest as much of their profits as they can afford to keep their means and methods of production up to date.

[Mikal]

As far as a one World Bank, thank ‘god’ for America’s arrogance__She’d never allow such stupidity…Quote by Lloyd

As I said in the Massey Lectures we are a corporational society with a soft PRETENCE for Democracy…Quote by John Ralston Saul.

Definition of Pretence/Pretend>make it seem that something is the case when in fact it is not…

Amartya Sen addressing the United Nations on April 18, 1994—“Visions of impending doom, apocolyptic pessimism, pessimistic visions—have been increasing in past years. These catastrophic images have encouraged a tendency to treat the people not as reasonable beings, allies facing a common problem, but as impulsive and uncontrolled sources of great social harm, in need of strong discipline.”

People are not ignorant in the sense of what is happening—they just do not understand what is happening behind the scenes.

Cultural Invasion—Paulo Freire

Devisive tactics and manipulation serves the ends of conquest. In this phenomenon, the invaders penetrate the cultural context. In disrespect of the latters potentialities they impose their own view of the world upon those they invade and inhibit the creativity of the invaded by curbing their expression.
The invaders are the authors of, and actors in the process, those that they invade are the objects. The invaders mold, the invaded are molded. All domination involves invasion—at times physical and overt, at times camouflaged. Invasion is a form of economic and cultural domination.
The invaders (The Big Boys) are making increasing use of the social sciences and technology and to some extent the physical sciences to improve and refine their action. It is indispensible for the invaders to know the past and present of those invaded in order to guide the evolution of their future along lines that will favor their own interests.”

What do people not understand? Their critical faculties have not developed because the very structure of their thought has been conditioned by the contradictions of the existential situation by which they were shaped. Their struggle would be drawing away from identification, adhesion to the invader so they can see him more objectively to receive critical realizations. The change needed is a qualitative change in perception. Economic invasion is an instrument of invasion, domination, the result of domination, a cultural action being deliberate and planned and is a product of oppressive reality.


The elite big boys in the tall towers will still be running the show—quote by TP

From schools to universities, structures function as agencies which prepare the invaders of the future--Paulo Freire

There is the tree and there is the forest but beyond that there is the seed from which it all grows….

Regards Mikal

[Lloyd Gillespie]

When I want more negative non-sense__I'll certainly know who to call on__Thanks for informing us Mikal...

As far as a one World Bank, thank ‘god’ for America’s arrogance__She’d never allow such stupidity…Quote by Lloyd

As I said in the Massey Lectures we are a corporational society with a soft PRETENCE for Democracy…Quote by John Ralston Saul.

Definition of Pretence/Pretend>make it seem that something is the case when in fact it is not…

Amartya Sen addressing the United Nations on April 18, 1994—“Visions of impending doom, apocolyptic pessimism, pessimistic visions—have been increasing in past years. These catastrophic images have encouraged a tendency to treat the people not as reasonable beings, allies facing a common problem, but as impulsive and uncontrolled sources of great social harm, in need of strong discipline.”

People are not ignorant in the sense of what is happening—they just do not understand what is happening behind the scenes.

Cultural Invasion—Paulo Freire

Devisive tactics and manipulation serves the ends of conquest. In this phenomenon, the invaders penetrate the cultural context. In disrespect of the latters potentialities they impose their own view of the world upon those they invade and inhibit the creativity of the invaded by curbing their expression.
The invaders are the authors of, and actors in the process, those that they invade are the objects. The invaders mold, the invaded are molded. All domination involves invasion—at times physical and overt, at times camouflaged. Invasion is a form of economic and cultural domination.
The invaders (The Big Boys) are making increasing use of the social sciences and technology and to some extent the physical sciences to improve and refine their action. It is indispensible for the invaders to know the past and present of those invaded in order to guide the evolution of their future along lines that will favor their own interests.”

What do people not understand? Their critical faculties have not developed because the very structure of their thought has been conditioned by the contradictions of the existential situation by which they were shaped. Their struggle would be drawing away from identification, adhesion to the invader so they can see him more objectively to receive critical realizations. The change needed is a qualitative change in perception. Economic invasion is an instrument of invasion, domination, the result of domination, a cultural action being deliberate and planned and is a product of oppressive reality.


The elite big boys in the tall towers will still be running the show—quote by TP

From schools to universities, structures function as agencies which prepare the invaders of the future--Paulo Freire

There is the tree and there is the forest but beyond that there is the seed from which it all grows….

Regards Mikal

[Mikal]

Thank goodness that I learnt a long time ago that adamant, arrogant and assertive tones entirely justify those who think they have ownership of knowledge and I certainly feel no need to apologize that I am not one of your devotional followers...

The fact that the above means non-sense to you means nothing....it may mean something to another viewer.

Also I have long understood the meanings of such things as BOO as quite rightly using intimidation...of which I fully realize...

Best Regards Mikal

[RascalPuff]

"Democracy is a poor form of government, while I guess we'll have to endure and tolerate it, until a better form of government comes along". Winston Churchill (Paraphrased)

"Can't we all just get along?" - Rodney King (Paraphrased)